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Frequently Asked Questions

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Tips on using the Browser Check and Installation Wizard

Your computer needs to be properly configured to run your MathXL course. Depending on your course, you will either need to run the Installation Wizard or the Browser Check to install the components you need to view exercises and multimedia content in your course.

Where do I find the Browser Check or Installation Wizard?

It's best to run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard from inside your MathXL course. When you log into your course, you will see a Browser Check or Installation Wizard link on the Announcements page.

You can also run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard from this Support site.

Click Submit. Either the Browser Check or the Installation Wizard appears in a new window, depending on which tool is used in your course.

Note: Before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard, you should review the information below.
You must have administrator rights to install software on your computer. You will also need to confirm pop-up blocker and cookie settings. If you are unfamiliar with these topics, the information below will give you guidance.

Administrator Rights

Administrator rights allow you to install software on a computer. Before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard, make sure you have full administrator rights on your machine. If you are on a lab computer or a computer at an institution or business, you probably do not have administrator rights and you cannot install courses components from the Browser Check or Installation Wizard. In this case, you need to contact your lab administrator, network administrator, or the owner of the computer so that person can run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard to install plug-ins and players for you.

To check for admin rights on a Windows system:

Right-click the Windows Start button.

If you see the text “Explore All Users,” you have administrator rights.

To check for admin rights on a Macintosh system:

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.

From the View menu, choose Accounts.

Under My Account you should see your computer user name. If you have administrator rights, Admin appears directly below your user name.

If you try to install components using the Browser Check or Installation Wizard without administrator rights, you may see a message saying that you are missing a key component. If you click the link to install the component, nothing happens.

Managing pop-up blockers

Pop-up blockers or ad-blockers may prevent you from installing components and from using your course. You should configure these programs to allow pop-ups from mathxl.com before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard or trying to use any part of your course.

Netscape 7.1 offers a pop-up blocker feature that can be turned off by selecting Preferences from the Edit menu and then selecting Popup Windows under Privacy and Security.

How to allow pop-ups from specific locations:

Most popular pop-up blockers let you allow pop-ups from specific locations. For example, if you are using the Google toolbar pop-up blocker, you can click the Popup Blocker button on the toolbar when you are using the Installation Wizard. The button text will change to read “Allow site popups,” indicating that the Popup Blocker is disabled for the MyMathLab site. For specific instructions, please refer to the online help for your pop-up blocker.

Tips for managing pop-up blockers:

Most pop-up blockers produce an audio alert when they block a pop-up window. If you have speakers installed, raise your volume so you can hear whether a pop-up has been blocked.

Many pop-up blockers let you use the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard to allow an individual pop-up window. If you are unsure how to configure your pop-up blocker, hold down the "Ctrl" key when clicking the Install or Detect buttons in the Browser Check or Installation Wizard.

If you have multiple pop-up blockers, you will need to configure each pop-up blocker. For example, you may have Internet Explorer 6.0 (with Service Pack 2), the Google Toolbar, and Norton Internet Security. Each has its own, independent pop-up blocker.

How to disable pop-up blockers:

If pop-ups are still blocked after you configure your pop-up software, you should temporarily disable your pop-up blockers. You can temporarily disable many pop-up blockers by clicking the program's icon in either the Windows System Tray or in the browser. You can re-enable the software when you are not using your course.

In extreme cases, you may need to uninstall a pop-up blocker completely. If the pop-up blocker is not part of your browser, you probably can remove it using the Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel.

If you still need help, contact Product Support. (Contact information is at the top of this page.)

Configuring your browser's cookie settings

To use MathXL, your browser must accept cookies, which are used to keep track of who you are when you move from one web page to another.

Enabling ActiveX for your browser (Installation Wizard courses only)

The Installation Wizard requires you to download the MathXL Player, which uses an "ActiveX control" to display homework, tests, and practice exercises.To install the MathXL Player, ActiveX must be enabled in your Internet browser. The Installation Wizard tells you whether you need to enable ActiveX.

If your browser’s Internet Options are set to block ActiveX, you will see a warning message alerting you that ActiveX is disabled. For example, if you have Windows XP Service Pack 2, a message like this appears along the top of the Installation Wizard screen:

For Windows XP and Windows 2000 XP1 users, a message like this appears:

If you get any type of error message telling you that ActiveX is disabled, follow these instructions to enable ActiveX:

From the Internet Explorer Tools menu, select Internet Options.

Click the Security tab.

Click the Internet icon on this tab; then click Default Level.

Under "Security Settings for this zone", adjust the slider to Medium.

Click OK to save your settings and close the window.

Now you can return to the Installation Wizard and install the MathXL Player.

If you still need help, contact Product Support. (Contact information is at the
top of this page)

Tips for Windows XP Service Pack 2 users

If you are using the Browser Check or Installation Wizard on a system running Windows XP Service Pack 2, you may see a yellow/beige information bar located just below the title bar that looks like this:

Click this information bar and accept the installation of the required component. If you do not, the component required for your course cannot be installed.

If you still need help, contact Product Support. (Contact information is at the
top of this page)

How do I register for MathXL?

I forgot my login name and password. How can I get it again?

You can retrieve your login name and password by submitting an
online request form
(also available from the MathXL log-in page). When completing this form, be sure to enter the email address you used to register for MathXL. Your login information will be sent only to this email address. If you need additional assistance, call Product Support at 1-800-677-6337.

How do I enroll in a new course?

Why can't I run MathXL in my browser?

In most courses, you can use recent versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari to work in your course. A few older courses, however, are only available using Internet Explorer. If your course uses the Installation Wizard, you must use Internet Explorer 6 or 7 to work in your course. If your course offers the Browser Check, you can use any of the three standard browsers.

Some Internet providers, such as AOL, offer their own proprietary browsers, which are not compatible with MathXL. To work in your course, you must minimize the proprietary browser and open a standard browser supported for your course.